FORTY-SEVENTH REGULAR SESSIONOEA/Ser.P

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FORTY-SEVENTH REGULAR SESSIONOEA/Ser.P

June 19 to 21, 2017AG/doc.5582/17

Cancún, Quintana Roo, Mexico14 June 2017

Original: Spanish

Item 6 on the agenda

ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL
FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (CIDI)

(2016–2017)

(Agreed upon by the Permanent Council at its meeting of June 14, 2017)

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CONTENTS

I.FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF CIDI….…......

II.ACTIVITIES OF CIDI AND ITS SUBSIDIARY BODIES......

1.MONTHLY REGULAR MEETINGS OF CIDI AND JOINT MEETINGS WITH THE PERMANENT COUNCIL

2.SECTORAL AND SPECIALIZED MEETINGS OF CIDI......

3.ACTIVITIES OF SUBSIDIARY BODIES OF CIDI AND JOINT WORKING GROUPS OF THE PERMANENT COUNCIL AND CIDI

III.ACTIVITIES OF THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (SEDI) (2015-2016)…. …..

IV.ANNEXES......

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ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COUNCIL

FOR INTEGRAL DEVELOPMENT (CIDI)

This document summarizes the activities carried out by the Inter-American Council for Integral Development (CIDI) for the period between the forty-sixth and forty-seventh regular sessions of the General Assembly, held, respectively, from June 13 to 15, 2016, and from June 19 to 21, 2017.

I.FUNCTIONS AND POWERS OF CIDI

The Protocol of Managua, which entered into force in 1996, created the Inter-American Council for Integral Development as the main policy-making organ with responsibility for formulating, promoting, and implementing guidelines for technical cooperation at the ministerial level in the Hemisphere.

Under Article 3 of its Statutes, CIDI has the following functions and powers:

a)To formulate and recommend the Strategic Plan to the General Assembly.

b)To formulate proposals for strengthening inter-American dialogue on integral development.

c)To promote, coordinate, and oversee the execution of the Strategic Plan.

d)To convene regular meetings of the Council at the ministerial or equivalent level; regular monthly meetings; special meetings; and sectoral or specialized meetings.

e)To propose to the General Assembly the holding of specialized conferences in their respective areas of competence to deal with special technical matters or to develop specific aspects of inter-American cooperation; to convene them in urgent cases, in accordance with the provisions of resolution AG/RES. 85 (II-O/72); and to coordinate, when appropriate, the holding of these specialized conferences in the framework of specialized or sectoral meetings of CIDI.

f)To promote cooperative relations with the corresponding United Nations agencies and with other national and international bodies, particularly as regards coordination of the inter-American technical cooperation programs.

g)To adopt the policies and general guidelines which the Management Board of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD) and the Executive Secretariat for Integral Development (SEDI) should follow in carrying out the cooperation activities of the IACD.

h)To convene high-level meetings and seminars to study problems related to development and identify efforts that could be undertaken in the CIDI framework, including those resulting from the application of Article 37 of the Charter of the Organization of American States.

i)To periodically evaluate the execution of cooperation activities with a view to adopting decisions it finds appropriate for their improvement and for the most efficient use of funds, and report to the General Assembly.

j)To coordinate and organize the activities of the subsidiary bodies of CIDI.

k)To establish mechanisms for consultation and dialogue between CIDI’s regular and special meetings and the inter-American committees.

l)To receive, analyze, and take action on the reports and recommendations of its subsidiary bodies, as well as on the reports of other organs entrusted with the execution of CIDI projects.

m)To elect the members of the Management Board of the IACD.

n)To adopt criteria for the allocation of additional resources mobilized by the IACD, for which the donor has not specified purposes and limitations.

o)To approve the Rules of Procedure of the Management Board of the IACD and amendments thereto.

p)To approve guidelines, policies, and priorities, on its own initiative or as recommended by the IACD, for the preparation, adoption, and execution of the program budget of the IACD.

q)To consider and, as appropriate, approve the annual budget of the IACD proposed by the Management Board.

r)To participate in the preparation of the program-budget of the Organization in the area of cooperation.

s)To instruct the General Secretariat and SEDI regarding the execution of tasks and support activities for the fulfillment of the mandates and functions assigned to CIDI.

t)To approve or refer to other organs, as appropriate, proposals from the IACD for amending the rules and regulations relating to the personnel, budget, operations, and administration of the IACD.

u)To authorize special budgetary appropriations from the Development Cooperation Fund to address unforeseen situations or activities, and identify the source of the necessary resources, in accordance with Article 96 of the General Standards to Govern the Operations of the General Secretariat.

v)To fulfill, in addition to the functions established by these Statutes, such other functions as may be entrusted to it by the Charter of the OAS, other inter-American instruments, the General Assembly, and the Meeting of Consultation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, as envisaged at Article 70 of the Charter, and to make recommendations in its area of authority.

CIDI is composed of all the OAS member states, whose delegates represent them at the CIDI meetings envisaged in Article 96 of the Charter and Articles 19 to 21 of these Statutes.

Under Article 5 of its Statutes, CIDI has the following subsidiary bodies:

1. Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development
2. Nonpermanent Specialized Committees (CENPES)
3. Inter-American Committees
4. Permanent committees of CIDI
5. Other subsidiary bodies and agencies created by the Council

II.ACTIVITIES OF CIDI AND ITS SUBSIDIARY BODIES

1. MONTHLY REGULAR MEETINGS OF CIDI AND JOINT MEETINGS WITH THE PERMANENT COUNCIL

Officers (July – December 2016)

Chair:Ambassador Rogelio Sotela Muñoz, Permanent Representative of Costa Rica

Vice Chair:Ambassador Dr. Everson Hull, Permanent Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis

Officers (January–June 2017)

Chair:Ambassador Dr. Vince Henderson, Permanent Representative of Dominica

Vice Chair:Ambassador Gedeón Santos, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic

In the period covered by this report, CIDI continued to deepen its substantive dialogues and to address strategic issues of interest to the member states, in preparation for the meetings of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of CIDI.

In January 2017, CIDI confirmed Kim Osborne as Executive Secretary for Integral Development in accordance with Articles 117 and 120 of the OAS Charter. Furthermore, at its meeting of May 2, 2017, the Management Board of the Inter-American Agency for Cooperation and Development (IACD) accepted her appointment as Director General of the IACD, in keeping with Article 12 of the Statutes of the IACD.

The principal focus of discussions throughout the year was:

to encourage exchanges of experience, lessons learned and good practices among member states in order to optimize technical cooperation opportunities in in responding to the needs of member states;

to analyze the work of the Organization on the development pillar with a view to recommending strategic lines and objectives for that pillar in the Comprehensive Strategic Plan of the Organization adopted in October 2016 by resolution AG/RES. 1 (LI-E/16); and

to receive the first report of member states on implementation of the Plan of Action of the Social Charter of the Americas.All discussions took into account the priorities set by the sectoral processes, as well as the need to align the actions that CIDI and SEDI have undertaken with respect to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contribute to their implementation.

In that regard, the practice continued whereby the strategic topic of the Work Plan proposed by the CIDI Chair in July 2016 (CIDI/doc.209/16 rev. 1 Español - English) was defined based on the mandates received by CIDI so that delegations and the Secretariat might offer presentations on initiatives that they are pursuing in those areas, with a view to analyzing opportunities for cooperation.

From July 2016 to June 2017, CIDI held 10 regular meetings and one joint meeting with the Permanent Council.In keeping with the strategic objectives set out in the Organization's Strategic Plan, the main topics addressed are summarized as follows:

Crosscutting issues:

The member states exchanged information on progress made, experiences, and lessons learned in implementing areas of intervention 1 and 2 of the Plan of Action of the Social Charter of the Americas: Labor and Social Protection. CIDI adopted a methodology in preparation for this and future dialogue on these topics (CIDI/doc.211/16 rev 1). In addition, a map of the mandates and decisions adopted in relation to those areas of intervention (CIDI/INF.204/17) was distributed, as was a questionnaire for member states to gain knowledge of their experiences and best practices in the areas of intervention under consideration, as well as their offers of cooperation and needs in that regard.While the states exchanged information and shared their experiences during the meeting, CIDI decided to relay the findings of the questionnaire to its sectoral processes so that they could be taken into account in their activities. A compilation of the documents and presentations submitted is contained in document CIDI/INF.217/17 (Textual).

CIDI held a joint meeting with the Permanent Council to analyze the role of the Organization in implementing the SDGs. The meeting was attended by the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs and the OAS Secretary General.At the meeting, the delegations of Colombia, United States, and Costa Rica presented of national good practices in implementing the SDGs, which was followed by an open dialogue among the delegations.The delegation of the United States also offered member states its Reporting Platform on National Statistics for Global SDGs, which roused the interest of the delegations.In response, SEDI, through Cooperanet, organized a virtual meeting that was attended by 20 member states, including representatives of 35 agencies responsible for monitoring and implementing the SDGs in their countries.An immediate consequence of that effort was the establishment of a virtual working group on Cooperanet to follow up on the original discussions; two virtual information sessions were also held for states interested in adopting the platform. At present, in coordination with the Permanent Mission of the United States to the OAS, suitable mechanisms are being explored for meeting the requests from member states to adapt the platform for use in their countries.

CIDI accepted the recommendation of the Working Group to Strengthen CIDI and Its Organs and agreed on a Triennial Ministerial Cycle as well as a series of general guidelines for the sectoral processes at the ministerial level [CIDI/GT/FORCIDI/doc.139/17 rev. 2]. The aim is to ensure consistency, continuity, and predictability in ministerial processes, as well as to facilitate an effective dialogue on policy and cooperation among member states.The guidelines, which must be followed by all areas of the OAS General Secretariat responsible for the various portfolios and by the member states leading the sectoral processes, describe the basic cycle of meetings that form part of the sectoral ministerial process, the format of meetings, the parties involved, the parameters for preparing agendas and working documents, and the necessary alignment with the overarching strategic objectives of the OAS.

Strategic Line 1:Promoting inclusive and competitive economies

The Secretariat of Economy of Mexico, as Chair Pro Tempore of the Inter-American Competitiveness Network (RIAC), presented a report on the preparations for the Tenth Inter-American Competitiveness Forum, which, scheduled for September 2017 in Mexico City under the theme"Structural Reforms and Entrepreneurship to Drive Competitiveness in the Americas.” The Forum will take place in the framework of the National Entrepreneur Week, Mexico's premier entrepreneurship and innovation event.

Reports were presented on the Seventh and Eighth Americas Competitiveness Exchange on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (ACE), held in Canada in 2016 and in the United States in April 2017.The ACE held in Canada visited the southwest of the Province of Ontario, part of Canada's economic heartland, and focused on six clusters: advanced manufacturing, ICTs, clean technology, life sciences, agri-food, and financial technology.The ACE in the United States, was held in the State of Texas and centered on advanced manufacturing, bioscience, cybersecurity, life sciences, rural healthcare, disaster recovery and resiliency, information technology, and agriculture.

CIDI convened the XXIV Inter-American Congress of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Tourism, which will be held in Georgetown Guyana, on March 21 and22, 2018. [CIDI/RES. 319 (LXVIII-O/17)]

At the request of the Troika of the Inter-American Congress of Ministers and High-Level Authorities of Tourism and of the officers of the Inter-American Committee on Tourism, CIDI approved the schedule for the third programming cycle of the Hemispheric Tourism Fund [CIDI/Doc.221/17 rev.1Español - English]

CIDI received the report on the Seventh Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Culture and Highest Appropriate Authorities within the framework of CIDI, held in Asunción, Paraguay in November 2016 with the theme “Development in the Americas: Strengthening cultural goods and services” (see item 2).

CIDI received the report on the Tenth Regular Meeting of the Inter-American Committee on Ports (CIP), held in Montevideo, Uruguay, in July 2016, with the theme “Partnerships for Development with the Private Sector.” (see item 2) CIDI also adopted, with modifications, the proposed amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the CIP, which were distributed after the meeting as document CIDI/doc.230/17.

Strategic Line 2:Strengthening the implementation of sustainable development goals in accordance with the Inter-American Program for Sustainable Development (PIDS) 2016-2021

Consideration was given to the support that the OAS could provide member states in implementing the Sendai Framework and, in particular, actions to carry out the Regional Plan of Action for Disaster Risk Reduction.The delegations of Argentina and Antigua and Barbuda shared their experiences. In addition, the Secretariat reported on the work that it is doing in the context of the Inter-American Program on Sustainable Development as well as on the contents of Executive Order 16/04, which guides the efforts of the General Secretariat to mainstream disaster risk management in all its secretariats, departments, offices, and other areas that report to it.

On the basis of the disaster risk reduction approach based on equal access to rights, states, including Argentina and Mexico, shared their experiences with policies and programs that they are pursuing in a bid to ensure cities and communities that are inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, and the Ministry of Energy of Chile sent a message inviting member states to the Ministerial Meeting of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, which is to be held in Viña del Mar, Chile, on September 7 and 8, 2017, with energy transition as its theme.

Strategic Line 3:Promoting education and human development in the Americas

CIDI received the report of the Ninth Inter-American Meeting of Ministers of Education, held in Nassau, Bahamas, in February 2017. The meeting adopted the Declaration of The Bahamas and the Inter-American Education Agenda, which supports SDG 4 and the efforts of member states in three priority areas: (i) Quality, inclusive, and equitable education; (ii) Strengthening of the teaching profession; and (iii) Comprehensive early childhood care (see item 2).

CIDI agreed that the area of action for the second programming cycle of the Development Cooperation Fund would be Education and that it would support programs in priority areas established in the Inter-American Education Agenda (CIDI/doc.216/17 rev. 1: Español - English - Français-Português) adopted by the Ministers of Education: (i) Quality, inclusive, and equitable education; (ii)Strengthening of the teaching profession; and (iii) Comprehensive early childhood care. For its part, the IACD Management Board approved seed funding in the amount of US$1,505,000.00 for that programming cycle 2017-2021 for projects presented by the 18 eligible countries (AICD/JD/DE-112/17 Español - English)

The Coimbra Group of Brazilian Universities (GCUB) gave a presentation on the scholarships that it offers under the Partnerships Program for Education and Training(PAEC).Member states were invited to continue applying for graduate scholarships and were reminded that the Government of Brazil through the Coimbra Group, which brings together more than 70 educational institutions in that country, has granted more than 2,000 scholarships to citizens from 29 member states at a total cost of around US$90 million since its inception in 2011.

CIDI authorized the withdrawal from the Capital Fund for the OAS Scholarship and Training Programs of up to US$2.25 million for those programs in 2017, with the understanding that the amount withdrawn must be reimbursed to the Capital Fund as follows: (a) as soon as the corresponding revenue permits; or, where appropriate (b)through equivalent appropriations in the program-budget for the next fiscal year or in such form as the General Assembly may decide. It also instructed SEDI to submit regular reports to CIDI on the funds withdrawn from the Capital Fund authorized pursuant to this resolution, as well as the specific scholarships and training programs and number of students that benefited from this transfer [CIDI/RES.316 (LXV-O/16) Español- English - Français - Português].CIDI also established an immediate and temporary pause in the awarding of new graduate scholarships in 2017 in the framework of the Academic Scholarship Program and established a Working Group tasked with the analysis and assessment of the functioning of all OAS scholarships and training programs and to present to CIDI and the Permanent Council, before July 31, 2017, its recommendations and solutions to ensure the sustainability of those programs.

SEDI presented its report on the use of Capital Fund resources authorized for fiscal year 2016 pursuant to resolution CIDI/RES. 309 (E-IV/16) Español- English - Français - Português(CIDI/Doc.219/17 -Español - English - Français-Português)